The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale – Autonomy Subscale (SDS-Autonomy)
Measures the autonomous behavior and independent functioning of adolescents, focusing on routine personal care, community interaction, and acting on personal preferences.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale – Autonomy Subscale (SDS-Autonomy) was developed by Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D. (1995). It is designed to measure Autonomy and Self-Determination. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 32 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Independence: Routine Personal Care and Family Oriented Functions, Independence: Interaction with the Environment, Acting on Preferences: Recreational and Leisure Time, Acting on Preferences: Community Involvement and Interaction, Acting on Preferences: Post-School Directions, Acting on Preferences: Personal Expressions.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Independence: Routine Personal Care and Family Oriented Functions | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Independence: Interaction with the Environment | 7,8,9,10 | 4 |
| Acting on Preferences: Recreational and Leisure Time | 11,12,13,14,15,16 | 6 |
| Acting on Preferences: Community Involvement and Interaction | 17,18,19,20,21 | 5 |
| Acting on Preferences: Post-School Directions | 22,23,24,25,26,27 | 6 |
| Acting on Preferences: Personal Expressions | 28,29,30,31,32 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = I do not do this, 1 = I do this sometimes, 2 = I do this most of the time, 3 = I do this all the time.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 96. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Autonomy: 0 – 32
- Moderate Autonomy: 33 – 64
- High Autonomy: 65 – 96
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ~ 0.90 for the Autonomy domain.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.